Hope

1. Confirm Appendix A base district + Hope Village Overlay (~5d)
   Identify the Scituate Appendix A base district plus Hope Village Overlay District requirements; verify the RIGL §45-24-37(j) 20,000 sqft minimum lot for by-right ADU. Hope Village Overlay design standards may apply to ADUs visible from the village street grid (massing, setback, materials).
2. Submit OWTS application to RIDEM (~70d)
   Scituate explicitly requires an approved OWTS (On-site Wastewater Treatment System) application and plan before the building permit process begins — there is no public sewer in Hope village. Engage a RIDEM-licensed designer; OWTS site evaluation, design, and approval typically run 8-14 weeks.
3. PWSB watershed-protection review (if applicable) (~21d)
   If parcel is within or adjacent to W (Watershed) zone or PWSB-owned land in the Scituate Reservoir watershed (~14,436 acres of the town), file Providence Water Supply Board watershed-protection review concurrently. Hope village sits along the Pawtuxet River downstream of the reservoir but the watershed overlay still applies to many parcels.
4. Pre-application contact with Building Official (~5d)
   Contact Scituate Building Official Michael DiOrio at (401) 647-5901 / mdiorio@scituateri.org or Clerk Calista McDermott (cmcdermott@scituateri.org). The town reports that 'building permits for new construction generally take 2 weeks for processing' but a Hope-village ADU's full schedule (with OWTS and PWSB) realistically extends to ~90 days end-to-end.
5. Apply via permits.ri.gov (~1d)
   Apply via the RI statewide e-permitting portal at permits.ri.gov, selecting 'Town of Scituate' / 'building department'. Attach OWTS approval (or pending RIDEM acknowledgement), site plan, floor plan, elevations, and Hope Village Overlay design narrative if visible from the village street.
6. Administrative ADU review (~14d)
   Administrative ADU review under Scituate zoning. Hope Village Overlay design standards reviewed for any ADU visible from the village street grid; by-right ADUs avoid Zoning Board hearing.
7. Plan review (uses outside trade inspectors) (~14d)
   Plan review by Scituate Building Department. Note: the office uses outside trade inspectors — there are no resident electrical/plumbing/mechanical inspectors on staff, which can extend trade-inspection scheduling vs. Smithfield/Burrillville.
8. Pay statewide-formula fees + RIDEM + PWSB (~1d)
   Pay statewide-formula permit fees per 510-RICR-00-00-21 (~$19-23 per $1,000), plus RIDEM OWTS review fee per 250-RICR-150-10, plus PWSB watershed review fee where applicable. Scituate does not assess a town development impact fee.
9. Construction inspections
   Foundation, frame, OWTS install (RIDEM-witnessed separately), rough MEP, insulation, and final. Outside trade inspectors require advance scheduling.
10. Certificate of Occupancy (~5d)
    Issued by Scituate Building Official after final inspection passes; OWTS performance-of-work letter must be on file from RIDEM.

• Long-term rental: yes Long-term rental of ADU explicitly permitted under RIGL §45-24-37(j); RI HOA preemption (§45-24-73) voids conflicting covenants.
• Short-term rental: with-restrictions Scituate regulates STRs separately from ADU permitting; check town STR ordinance and any HOA covenants.
• Office rental: with-restrictions Detached office rental requires home-occupation permit; watershed-overlay parcels have additional impervious-surface limits.
• Home office: yes Home occupation permitted with restrictions on signage and customer traffic.
• Studio / workshop: yes Personal artist studio is a permitted accessory use; village-overlay aesthetics may apply.
• Agriculture: with-restrictions Watershed-overlay parcels limit agriculture to protect drinking-water source.
• Relative support: yes Family-occupied ADU explicitly permitted; statewide §45-24-37(j) by-right treatment.

Staff: Michael DiOrio (Building Official) mdiorio@scituateri.org, Calista McDermott (Building Department Clerk) cmcdermott@scituateri.org

• Water: Private wells (RIDEM oversight) — Hope village has no municipal water; PWSB owns watershed land but does not provide retail water in Scituate · 45d connect · $12,000
• Sewer: On-site Wastewater Treatment System (OWTS) per RIDEM 250-RICR-150-10 — no public sewer in Hope village · 90d connect · $30,000
• Electric: Rhode Island Energy · 14d connect · $1,800
• Gas: Propane / fuel oil (no piped natural gas in most of Hope village) · 14d connect · $2,500

Realistic total: best 9mo · typical 14mo · worst 22mo

Modular pathway inspectors are occasional with modular

State ADU loans:

• RIHousing ADU lending program
• Rhode Island Executive Office of Housing

RIGL §45-24-73 voids conflicting HOA covenants. HOAs are very rare in Scituate; parcels are large rural lots with watershed overlays as the primary constraint.

• watershed
  Hope village parcels in the Scituate Reservoir watershed (PWSB owns ~14,436 acres of the town) require PWSB watershed-protection review. The W (Watershed) zone applies to many parcels.
• village-overlay
  Hope Village Overlay District design standards apply to ADUs visible from the village street grid (massing, setback, exterior materials).
• historic-district
  Hope Village Historic District (NRHP-listed) covers the historic mill-village core along the North Pawtuxet River.